Revolutionizing San Diego’s Water Future: Sukut Construction Takes On Pure Water Morena Conveyance South and Middle Pipeline Project for the City of San Diego By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor / Photos provided by: Brian Hoover, CMS, LLC and Sukut Construction
SAN DIEGO PURE WATER PROGRAM San Diego’s Pure Water Project is a crucial response to the city’s heavy reliance on imported water, with 85% sourced from the Colorado River and Northern California Bay Delta. The escalating cost of this imported water, which has tripled in the last 15 years, underscores the urgency of local water solutions. Currently, only eight percent of wastewater is recycled, while the rest is treated and discharged into the ocean. Pure Water San Diego represents a phased, multi-year initiative to transform this paradigm. By 2035, it aims to provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply locally, significantly reducing dependence on costly imports. This program is designed to revolutionize the city’s water 14
system, creating a complete water cycle that maximizes the utilization of this precious resource. PHASE 1 PURE WATER SAN DIEGO Phase 1 of the Pure Water Program encompasses 12 distinct projects aimed at treating recycled water, resulting in the production of 30 million gallons per day of high-quality purified water. The Morena Conveyance South and Middle, segment of the project was awarded to Sukut Construction (Sukut). Matthew Fleming is the project manager overseeing this $130 million contract for Sukut. “The Pure Water Program represents the largest ever infrastructure project delivered by the City of San Diego for its community. We started potholing in October 2022 and put the first
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stick of pipe in the ground in June of 2023. We should have everything wrapped up by the end of 2025,” explains Fleming. “There are two uniquely situated sections of the job. The City of San Diego refers to them as the South and Middle sections because they were initially separate projects that were merged. From the Morena Pump Station Facility, which is the southernmost section of the project, the water will be forced up a 48-inch pipe to a treatment center at the northern end of the project. The solids are separated and treated here for reintroduction into the Miramar reservoir. At this point, it becomes raw water and is run through a secondary set of treatment before it is deemed potable and dispersed to the City of San Diego residents.” C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M